Collapsible hogshead or barrel



-C. W. FLOYDr COLLAPSIBLE HOGSHEAD on BARREL.

1,339,749. APPLICATidN FILED SEPT. gs. 1919. Pat/gum May 11, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lo o o o o o o 5 ATTORNEY.

C. W. FLOYD. COLLAPSIBLE HOGSHEAD 0R BARREL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. I919. I

Patented May 11, 1920.

RNEY.

0 0 o o 0 o 0 o o 0 4 A/ 5 0 o o o o 1 o o o 0 o 4 WITNESS.- INVENTOR.

o o o L o o aWF loyo' I I l V ATTO UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES W. FLOYD, 0F WALNUT COVE, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-FOURTH TO L. A. CLARK, OF BOANOKE, VIRGINIA.

COLLAPSIBLE HOGSHEAD 0R BARREL.

Application filed September 26, 1919. Serial No. 326,465.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. FLOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at WValnut Cove, in the county of Stokes and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in C01- lapsible Hogsheads or Barrels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates generally to containers and receptacles and more particularly to barrels and hogsheads, it being the object of the invention to provide a collapsibl'e or knockdown barrel or hogshead intended particularlyf'for the storage and transportation of leaf tobacco although the barrel can be used for any other purpose.

It is the object of the invention to provide a knockdown barrel of substantial and durable construction, which will resist the pressure and wear and tear to which it is subjected in use, and which can be conveniently takenapart for releasing or discharging the contents, and to also enable the parts to be shipped within small space, as when being returned to the point of shipping.

A further object of the invention is the provision of such a barrel, the walls of which is composed of sections having novel means for assembling them, and permittin the sections to be taken apart and nested together within small compass, and also enabling a number of the barrels to be compactly transported economically, by reducing the space required, and freight charges.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The inventionjis illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is aside elevation of the barrel or hogshead, showing the latches of the hoopaseme of which are in latching position, and others in releasing position.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the barrel, showing onehea'd in place, portions being shown in section to show the manner of latching the hoop sections.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal diametrical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation looking from the opposite side as compared with Fig. 1, portions being broken away.

The barrel or hogshead which may be of any suitable size and form, being cylindrical as shown, has its cylindrical wall or body divided longitudinally into two semicircular or arcuate sections 1 and 2, each of which is composed of longitudinal staves 3 Specification of Letters Patent. Patented 1\{[ay-11, 192() of wood, fiber or other suitable material,

said staves fitting edge to edge. The hoops which embrace the cylindrical wall composed of the staves 3 are divided into semicircular or arcuate sections or straps 4 and 5 which are riveted or otherwise secured to the outer sides of the staves 3 of the respective sections 1 and 2, any suitable number of hoops being used, one at each end, and one or more'between the ends of the barrel.

The opposite ends of the hoopsections 'or' straps 4 and 5 have means for connecting them together, whereby to hold the sections 1 and 2 assembled, as will presently appear.

One end of each hoop section or strap 4 extends slightly beyond one edge of the section 1, and is provided with a transverse slot or notch 6 near said end opening at one edge of the strap'4, and the adjacent end of each hoop section or strap 5' also extends slightly beyond the respective edge of the barrel section 2 and has a transverse slot or notch 8 opening at the opposite edge of the strap 5 as compared with the slot or notch 6. These slots 6 and 8 form hooks 7 and 9 respectively, on the adjacent ends of the straps 4 and 5, providing for the detachab'le' connection of the respective edges of the barrel sections 1 and 2. Thus, by placing said edges together, in a longitudinally ofiset position, and then sliding them into register, the hooks 7 and 9 can be moved so as to interengage one another, as seen in Fig. 4, which will connect the straps 4 and 5 so that they cannot be pulled apart, although when the sections 1 and 2 are re-' leased, they can be slid longitudinally to disconnect the hooks 7 and 9 for separating said sections.

The opposite ends of the hoop straps 4 and 5 are provided with means for latching and securing them together after the hooks 7 and 9 have been interengaged. Thus, each strap 1 is provided near that end opposite the hook 7 with an opening 10 adjacent to the respective edge of the section 1, and that end of each strap 5' opposite to the hook 9 is provided with a tongue 11 of reduced width extending therefrom to overlap the corresponding end of the strap 1. The tongue 11 has a portion 12 ofiset inwardl to fit within the opening or socket 10 of the corresponding strap 4. Thus, after the sections 1 and 2 are assembled by bringing the hooks 7 and 9 into engagement, said sections in being swung together will bring the olfset portions 12 of the tongues 11 into the openings or sockets 10, thereby securing the corresponding edges of the barrel sections 1 and 2 together, to resist separation thereof by the internal pressure of the contents of the barrel. Latches 13 are pivoted, as at 14,

to the straps 4 near the openings 10, and

have finger pieces 15 for conveniently swinging them to overlap the portions 12, for holding them within the openings 10. These latches, when swung away from the openings 10, will release the tongues 11 so that they can be withdrawn from the openings 10, thereby permitting the sections 1 and 2 of the barrel to separate. The hoops take up the pressure, and the oints between the ends of the sections or straps of the hoops are simple and will not result in objectionable protuberances on the exterior of the barrel.

Longitudinal angle iron bars 16 are riveted or otherwise secured to the inner surfaces of the barrel sections 1 and 2 at points spaced from the edges of said sections, and said bars have flanges extending inwardly. These bars 16 are for the purpose of taking up the longitudinal strains imposed against the heads or ends 17 of the barrel which are fitted within the ends of the sections 1 and 2 as shown. The heads or ends 17 can be of wood, fiber or other material and are of a circular outline to fit snugly within the sections 1 and 2, and said heads have notches or recesses 18 in the edges thereof to accommodate the bars 16, which extend to the ends of the barrel. It is also preferable to secure a cleat l9 diametrically across the outer face of each head 17 so that its ends can abut the edge portions of the barrel sections 1 and r 2, as seen in Fig. 2, whereby to strengthen the structure.

In order to secure the heads 17 in place, and to resist the outward pressure against them, angle iron latch bars 20 extend across the outer faces of the. heads 17 in a chordal position substantially parallel with the cleats 19 on the opposite sides thereof. The bars 20 as well as the cleats 19 are located within the ends of the sections 1 and 2, so

as to be out of the way in handling the barrel, and the bars 20 are engaged with the longitudinal bars 16. Thus, said bars 16' are provided with slots or notches 21 in those flanges which extend inwardly, to receive those flanges of the bars 20 which bear against the heads 17. In this way, after the heads 17 are inserted, the bars 20 are placed against the heads 17 and then slid away from the cleats 19 so as to move the bars 20 into the slots or notches of the bars 16. The outward pressure of the heads 17 is thus taken up by the bars 20, which in being engaged with the bars 16 will transmit the strain to the bars 16, thereby relieving the staves 8 of the pressure against the heads of the barrel.

The latch bars 20 are held in place by means of cams 22 pivoted,.as at 23, to the heads 17 between said bars 20 and cleats 19, and having cam faces 24 to contact with the bars 20 between their ends and exert pressure for moving and holding the bars 20 in engagement with the bars 16. The cams 22 have finger pieces 25 for conveniently swinging them, and the cam faces 24- are eccentric so that the cams will be.

retained in engagement with the bars 20.

In filling the barrel, the sections 1 and 2 can be assembled and one head secured therein, after which the barrel is filled and the other head moved into place to compress the contents. The second head is then secured in place, and the barrel will then 2 to swing apart, so that the component 7 parts of the barrel will separate. The sections 1 and 2 can then be nested together, one within the other, and, in fact, a large number of barrels can thus be compactly nested together for storage and shipment.

within small space. In this way, a great many barrels can be shipped within a car instead of just a few as with the ordinary barrel or hogshead, and as a result, the nested barrels can be shipped much more economically. The structure is also com-. paratively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A collapsible barrel comprising arcuate barrel sections, arcuate straps secured to said barrel sections, said straps having means at two adjacent edges of said barrel sections to interengage by a transverse movement of the straps together for attaching them together against longitudinal separation, said straps having portions at the other edges of the barrel sections adapted to fit together, and latches for holding the last named portions in engagement.

2. A collapsible barrel comprising a divided body, and hoops embracing said body and divided adjacent to the edges of said body, the ends of the hoops having portions to move into engagement transversely thereof longitudinally with the portions of the barrel body for holding said ends of the hoops against separation.

3. A collapsible barrel comprising a body, and hoo'ps embracing said body, said body and hoops being divided, and the end portions of the hoops having transverse slots opening at opposite edges thereof forming hooks adapted to inter-engage longitudinally of the body for holding the ends of the hoops against separation.

4. A collapsible barrel comprising a body, and hoops embracing the body, said body and hoops being divided, each hoop having an opening near one end and a tongue projecting from the other end to overlap the first named end and offset inwardly to fit in said opening for holding said ends together.

5. A collapsible barrel comprising a body, hoops embracing the body, said body and hoops being divided, each hoop having an opening near one end and a tongue extending from the other end to overlap the first named end and offset inwardly to fit in said opening for holding the ends of the hoops against separation, and a latch carried by each hoop near said opening to swing over said tongue for holding it in said opening.

6. A collapsible barrel comprising a body divided into arcuate sections, hoops embracing the body divided into arcuate sections with their ends terminating adjacent to the ends of the body sections, the hoop sections having hooks at two adjacent edges of the body sections to move into engagement longitudinally of the body, and means for connecting the hoop sections at the other edges of the body sections when they are swung together.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, this 24th day of September, 1919.

CHARLES W. FLOYD. 

